Fractured
by Ravenwilder
Summary: Elsa had heard that isolation could lead to one talking to themselves, she just didn't realize how literal it would be. Plagued by a phantom who claims to be the same person as herself, Elsa must reconcile who she thinks she is with who she truly is. But as secrets are revealed, powers grow, and fears are realized, will Elsa succeed in piecing together her shattered Heart?
1. Prologue

Elsa sat against her door, quietly sobbing, the pain in her chest was crushing, suffocating. Elsa was useless, her sister, her dear sister, was crying only inches from her. She couldn't hold her, couldn't tell her that they would get through this, couldn't even acknowledge her presence even though, Anna, still knocked on her door, still tried. All because of this fucking curse! Anger, anger at herself for her lack of control, anger at her fate. While even then, her room was covered in hoarfrost, the air frigid, snowflakes suspended as if time had stopped just to prolong her suffering.

"I'm so sorry Anna," she whispered, so quietly it was more breath than verse. There was movement behind her, and Elsa froze, still as the air, stiller. Had Anna heard her? There was a quiet creak, a sniff, a sigh. She sounded so tired. Then the soft pad of footsteps receding from the door. Anna was leaving. A sharp pain lanced through Elsa's heart, she started._ No wait! _She thought, she wanted to throw open that door, call Anna back, anything to finally end this crushing loneliness. But no, the years of training and perfecting her control, while useless in stopping her powers, were more than enough to keep her back, keep her away from Anna, away from her parents, away from everything. She was alone, more alone than ever. Anna, no doubt had finally given up on her. Finally had enough of talking to a closed door. Finally enough of a sister that may as well not even be there. Not exist. Her parents were gone, the only people who knew of her curse, the only people she could still interact with, even if at a distance. Gone. Panic started to rise within her. She was _alone_, and that word, the weight of it had finally hit her. _No, no, no, no, please, Mama, Papa, Anna, I don't want to be alone anymore. I can't -I can't _live_ like this anymore. No!_ Elsa stood abruptly spikes of fine ice erupting from the floor around her, frost spreading thickly along the ceiling above. She stared at her door, helplessly, a moment, two, but she wouldn't open it, she couldn't, couldn't risk hurting Anna again, couldn't be that selfish. She had to be a good girl. She _had _to be alone. And with that thought something broke within her. Something fractured and fell away. She stared at that door. She was-

"You're not alone Elsa," A heart beat, two, "you're not alone," Elsa spun around, eyes wide, and impossibly a young woman was standing in the middle of her frozen room. She was the same height as Elsa, the same build, Elsa took in a sharp breath when he realized the woman had the same face as well. But she was also different, her skin was not as pale, her hair short, jet black, and spiked up almost like the ice that tore through her room. Her eyes though, were just like hers but their blue was somehow paler, colder, crueler. Elsa took a step back, ice crunching under her feet. The woman smiled and crossed the small distance between them. Elsa moved to back up more but her back pressed up against the cold wood of her door.

"Wh-who are you?" Elsa asked the stranger, fingers fumbling for the doorknob. The young woman simply smirked and brought her hand up to Elsa's cheek. Elsa flinched from the contact, but the dark haired woman trapped Elsa's face with her other hand. The strange woman rubbed small circles over Elsa's cheeks, her smirk widening into a grin, when was the last time someone had touched her, Elsa wondered, the hands were cool on her face. Elsa tried to pull away, but the the stranger's grip was firm and pulled her forward so that their faces were only inches apart. Clear blue staring into ice.

"Who am I?" the stranger asked, the grin turning slightly cruel. "Why I'm you, Elsa," and here the other Elsa cocked her head and smiled more gently, "and we'll never have to be alone again."


	2. Chapter 1

**Three years later**

Elsa awoke early the morning of her coronation to the soft snores of another and the weight of an arm thrown haphazardly over her shoulder. She pushed herself up on her elbows and yawned widely, the arm rolled of her shoulder and she turned to see a dark-haired woman twisted within the sheets of the bedding. Elsa smiled slightly as the sight reminded her of how Anna used to sleep when they were younger and then she sighed, the phantom that had visited her all those years ago had, true to her word, remained. Elsa threw off the blanket and got out of bed, the grey light of pre-dawn bathing the room in a chilly glow. Elsa heard the other Elsa groan.

"Are we really getting up now?"

"You always ask that, anyway today is my coronation and there are still many things left to prepare."

"You work too much" the other Elsa responded, yawning and disentangling herself from the bed sheets.

"You don't work at all" Elsa retorted, the other Elsa just shrugged. Elsa moved to smooth out the sheets noting that they were much neater now. It was obvious that only one person had slept in that bed last night. Elsa had grown used to having her perceptions change slightly to accommodate the phantom, as a figment of her mind, the other Elsa could leave no real impact on the world. For the most part anyway. Elsa could feel the draw of her ice power and looked up to see flowers of frost winding up her window apparently under the direction of the other Elsa.

"Stop it!" Elsa hissed and rushed over to the window, "What do you think you are doing?!" The other Elsa regarded her lazily, still creating fine white tendrils of frost.

"Exercising our gift? When we become queen there will be no reason to hide it anymore, we'll be able to do whatever we-"

"This is not a gift!" Elsa slammed her hand against the window frame. Thick jagged waves of frost tore through the delicate flower design. Startled, Elsa withdrew her hand from the now ruined frost lattice. No matter how beautiful her powers, they turned to destruction far too easily. They were too dangerous to wield like a toy. Elsa folded her hands to her chest and walked quickly to her dresser, pulling out a pair of turquoise suede gloves. "And there is no "we." _I_ will become queen and these powers will stay hidden, _forever._"

"Your Highness?" Elsa jumped. She looked up to see that the other Elsa had disappeared. She sighed and pushed her unruly bangs off her fore head.

"Good morning Kai," Elsa answered as she pulled on her morning robe, "I'll be out in a moment."

"Please take your time your Highness." Looking anxiously at the frost covering her window, Elsa opened the door to her room as little as possible, then squeezed out and quickly closed the door behind her. If Kai noticed the strange behavior of the young regent, he didn't show it. "Good morning your Highness." Kai bowed slightly and gave Elsa a reassuring smile. "I've come to let you know that the preparations for your coronation are underway. The cooking staff is preparing for the banquet and the maids are setting up the ballroom as we speak.

"Good, thank you Kai," Elsa nodded in appreciation. "Are there any new missives from the guests that will be arriving?" Kai frowned slightly but recovered almost immediately.

"Yes your highness, the Duke of Weselton has already sent ahead his request to go over the current trade agreements. Your cousin, her Highness Princess Rapuzel, has seen fit send another congratulatory gift. And there has been a late declaration. Apparently the King of the Southern Isles _will _be accepting your invitation and has sent his youngest son as representative."

"Thank you Kai, please draft a thank you letter to the kingdom of Corona, I'll personally thank Rapunzel myself, later. Also please add, what is this youngest son's name?"

"Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles, your Highness."

"Yes, please make sure he is added to the guest list. And please have our current trade agreement with Weselton and the Duke's request brought to my study, I'll review it this morning."

"Princess Elsa, if I may, the trade agreement could surely wait until after your coronation. Today is a day of celebration for both you and the people."

"I appreciate your concern Kai, however, I may as well get this taken care of as soon a possible, the Duke, as I understand it, is an impatient man." Kai nodded.

"I agree your Highness. Will you be taking your breakfast in the study this morning as well?"

"Yes."

"I'll see to it your Highness,"

"Thank you Kai, please do." When Kai had bowed and left, Elsa returned to room to get dressed. She was greeted by her personal specter.

"Typical, you wouldn't know how to have fun even if it was one of your royal duties." The dark haired Elsa regarded her twin lazily as she leaned against the still frost covered window. Elsa tried to ignore her, which was never a good idea. The other Elsa didn't take well to being ignored. "You always were Papa's little girl," the other Elsa sneered, "Conceal it, Don't feel it, right?" Elsa was putting on the dress she had chosen for her coronation and was still pointedly ignoring the specter. She was tired of having to deal with the constant ridicule. "Well do you feel it now Elsa?!" The temperature of the room dropped several degrees and Elsa finally looked up. "See? So long as I control our power as well you can't pretend I don't exist. You can't chant your good luck charm, and act like there is nothing wrong. I am you Elsa, the honest you, the you you were always meant to be until Anna made us hide away our powers."

"This was not Anna's fault! She is the victim here, my power is dangerous, I can't control it enough to prevent causing more injury."

"You can, you just won't try, and while we are shackled to duty and your promise to our dear old Papa. The spare is free to be the carefree klutz she's always been. Does she even care about you anymore, you've ignored her so thoroughly _you_ may as well be the specter, not me." That last one stung, it hurt that she had to remove herself from Anna's life but it was only to protect her.

"Why are you doing this, why now, why on the day when I most need to remain calm."

"Because Elsa, The day that you finally let this all go, will be the happiest day of our life." Fed up, the other Elsa turned and vanished through the frost covered window.

The biting chill of the room slowly receded. Elsa fixed a long purple cape around her shoulders and sighed, _I need to stay calm, If only for just one day._


End file.
